Sermon: The Power of the Gospel Message! (Getting the Story in; Getting the story Straight and Getting the Story Out)
Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:14-18 “Remind everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior. This kind of talk spreads like cancer, as in the case of Hymenaeus and Philetus. They have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith.”
Our key theme verse is 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Holy God and loving Father, please use my influence and the quality of my life to bring others to Jesus. Please give me wisdom as I seek to bring others to Christ... May my words and actions lead them closer to you and show them my respect and love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Introduction: Hymenaeus and Philetus were professing Christian preachers who had thrown aside their faith and good conscience. They were claiming that the resurrection of the dead had already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith, telling some that how they lived on earth was not important. Yet, Paul had put them out of the church at Ephesus and delivered them unto Satan, along with Alexander, "that they might be taught not to blaspheme."
I will always be grateful for Bible Colleges, Schools and Seminaries that prepare men and women for Christian Service. The best schools help us “get the story in; get the story straight and get the Story out! 2 Timothy 2 contains several wonderful admonitions and warnings. Apostle Paul was well aware that ministers acquire knowledge for different reasons. Some use their knowledge to gender strife, arguing about small things that waste time; while others discuss points that will not profit and yet there are others who dangerously dig away at the foundation of Christian faith confusing and undermining the faith of young Christians.
Every opportunity we have to speak will be to impress men or to speak for God. Every preacher and teacher must decide which one they will do. Some preachers are dangerous because they can’t seem to get the story straight – to rightly divide the word of truth! It is absolutely necessary that we get the gospel story straight before we attempt to get the story out. Still there are others who struggle with what the story is. Jesus, In Christianity, the son of God and the second person of the Holy Trinity. Christian doctrine holds that by his crucifixion and resurrection he paid for the sins of all mankind. His life and ministry are recounted in the four Gospels of the New Testament. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. It is through His work that men can be put right with a holy God. Jesus is the Story.
A story is told about a preacher who was being examined before seeking his deacon's ordination. Each time we share this story, we have done so with fear and trembling. We have had a horror of reading this and having no one laugh! The story goes as follows:
"Brother Sam, what part of the Bible do you like best?" "Well, sir, I like the New Testament best, sir." "What book in the New Testament?" "What book, sir?" "What book?" "I think it's the book of parables, sir." "Would you kindly relate one of those parables to this council?"
Poor Sam was up against it, but there was a possibility that the members of the council knew no more about their Bibles than he did. He decided to make a bold attempt, and proceeded as follows:
"Once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves and the thorns grew up and choked the man and he went on and didn't have no money and he met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man—she gave that man, sir, a thousand talents of gold and silver and a hundred changes of raiment. And when he was driving along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him a hanging there. Yes, sir. And he hung there many days and many nights and the ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah, come along and cut his hair off, and he dropped and fell on stony ground and it began to rain and it rained forty days and forty nights. And he hid himself in a cave. And the man went out into the highways and byways and compelled him to come in. He went on and come to Jerusalem and he seen Queen Jezebel sitting high up in the window and when she saw him she laughed and he said, Throw her down out of there,' and they threw her down. And he said, Throw her down again,' and they threw her down, seventy times seven times and the fragments they picked up were twelve baskets full. Now whose wife will she be in the days of judgment?"
There was no one on the council who felt qualified to question the candidate any further, and he passed.
If it were not so serious, it would be hilarious! But the matter is serious! Clearly the focus of the preaching and testifying of the early apostles is the "word of the Lord," the good news of the kingdom of God (Acts 8:25).
Our key verse: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
As people who are called to defend the faith. We must use our influence and the quality of our lives to bring others to Jesus. Our lifestyle must match our witness. Yes, we believe and Study God’s word, but it must be shared with wisdom and with a heart full of gentleness and concern as we seek to bring others to Christ. May our words and actions should lead others closer to God with an attitude that show them respect and love. If believers are going to be successful Brothers Defending the faith, we must practice the faith and in our hearts, we must set apart Christ as Lord.
You are not going to be prepared to make a defense of your faith unless you have first set apart Christ to honor Him in your hearts. You honor Christ because He's worth it. You honor Christ because He will bless you. You honor Christ because He's the Lord, which means He's in charge.
Central to the gospel message is the good news of Jesus Christ. It encapsulates His life, death, resurrection, and the message of salvation and redemption offered to humanity. This is not merely a religious concept but a transformative truth that has shaped civilizations. The message of prosperity alone is too small. Positive thinking and speaking alone is too small. The message of inclusion alone is too small. All those things are important and have their place, but the central message of the Gospel is Jesus the Christ our prophet, priest, and king who opened the door of salvation for all.
1. Set Apart Christ as Lord. Many who have receive Christ as savior, healer and deliverer has not receive him as Lord. The words “set apart” in this case means to separate Jesus from everything that would get in the way. The disciples were to devote themselves to Jesus with their entire being. The words, “Christ as Lord” Peter is telling them to focus on the fact Jesus is God and as such He is their king. They live their lives under the obedience of their Lord in such a way, people will ask the reason for their hopeful, joyful, and positive lifestyle. Some are unsuccessful because are trying to export something that is not working at home.
2. Always be Prepared. Many who has receive Christ as Lord live as babes in Christ. Their knowledge is too limited, their faith is too weak, and their confidence is too small. Apostle Paul commands believers to Study to show thyself approved. “To rightly divide the word of truth, we are to understand that we are to proclaim the true word of God; teaching that fits every person needs. Giving each his portion of meat in due season. We must give milk to the babes; strong meat to the full grown; comfort to the disconsolate; reproof and correction to the irregular and careless. In other words, We must find out the necessities of the hearers, and witness to meet those need.
3. Be Gentle and respectful. 1Corinthians 8:1-2 “Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.” Knowledge on its own merely puffs a person up. This comes from a Greek root word, phuisoo, which literally means to inflate or blow something up, as one would with a balloon. Describing a person as puff up implies arrogance and egotism. Spiritual pride pushes people down, but love lifts them up. Knowledge comes from the experiences and skills God provides to us, and Wisdom comes from an accumulation of the understanding and knowledge we receive over time. All these traits, however, ultimately come from God.
As Proverbs 2:6 teaches, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Isaiah 50:4 says, “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakened morning by morning, he wakened mine ear to hear as the learned.” The New Living Translation says, “The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.” Notice, Isaiah emphasizes the how more than the what. If this Men conference closes tomorrow or stands for a hundred years, let it be said that you were about “Getting the Story in that based on truth; Getting the story Straight in our lives as living epistles and Getting the Story Out in a gentle and respectful way!”
4. Allow God to make You Fishers of Men. Jesus said, “Follow me and I'll Make You Fishers of Men!”
"Now, it came to pass that a group existed who called themselves fishermen. And, lo, there were many fish in the waters all around. In fact, the whole area was surrounded by streams and lakes filled with fish, and the fish were hungry. Week after week, month after month, and year after year, those who called themselves fishermen met in meetings and talked about their call to go fishing. Continually they searched for new and better methods of fishing and for new and better definitions of fishing. They sponsored costly nationwide and worldwide congresses to discuss fishing and hear about all the ways of fishing, such as new fishing equipment, fish calls and whether any new bait was ever discovered. These fishermen built large and beautiful buildings called Fishing Headquarters. The plea was that everyone should be a fisherman and every fisherman should fish. One thing they didn't do, however, was that they didn't fish.
All the fishermen seemed to agree that what was needed was a board which could challenge fishermen to be faithful in fishing. The board was formed by those who had the great vision and courage to speak about fishing, to define fishing, and to promote fishing in faraway streams and lakes where many other fish of different colors lived.
Large, elaborate, and expensive training centers were built whose purpose was to teach fisherman how to fish. Those who taught had doctorates in fish ology. But the teachers themselves did not fish. They only taught fishing.
Some spent much studying and traveling to learn the history of fishing and to see faraway places where the Founding Fathers did great fishing in centuries past.
They lauded the faithful fisherman of years before who handed down the idea of fishing. Many who felt the call to be fisherman responded. They were commissioned and sent to fish. And they went off to foreign lands to teach fishing.
Now it's true that many of the fishermen sacrificed and put up with all kinds of difficulties. Some lived near the water and bore the smell of dead fish every day. They received the ridicule of some who made fun of their fisherman clubs.
They anguished over those who were not committed enough to attend the weekly meetings to talk about fishing. After all, weren't they following the one who said, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men"? Imagine how hurt some were when one day a person suggested that those who didn't catch fish were really not fisherman, no matter how much they claimed to be, yet it did sound correct. Is a person a fisherman if year after year he or she never catches a fish? Is one following if he isn't fishing?
If Christ were to return to this earth today in physical form, would He find you fishing, or would He find you organizing, meeting, talking about fishing, and making plans to be the best fishing headquarters anywhere?"
This simple "Fish Story" by an unknown author, gripped my heart. I hope it grips yours also. It is an indictment against many of our present-day organizations who huddle in meeting places to hear new techniques and learn new strategies but never practice what they preach. Have you ever noticed a football team in a huddle? They meet and plan in the huddle but then go public with the plan they developed in private. We do not attend football games to see the huddle. We want to see the team implement the plays called in the huddle. Bringing mankind into the Kingdom of God, saved and set free is still the single heart cry of the Father God in heaven. We are called to be "Fishers of Men." Allow these few words to challenge you to reach souls for the Kingdom of God. Everyone can reach one! We huddle in Church to formulate plans, develop strategies, and learn new techniques. The world is waiting to see us go public with our plan. We need not be fearful or afraid because we have a guarantee. Jesus said, "Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men."
We, the body of Christ, must take seriously the great commission of the Lord Jesus Christ. We must demonstrate genuine compassion for the lost; possess a heartfelt concern for their plight, be willing to contact them personally, and exercise wisdom as we relate with those who are lost. The Bible says, "He that wins a soul is wise." Every individual believer must take the great commission seriously. We are not just church members, but we are members of the Body of Christ. We are followers of the Lamb. We know His voice and the voice of strangers. We realize that He is the way, the truth, and the life. We are commissioned to be fishers of men. We must not only catch fish, but we are commissioned to make fish into fishermen. Coca Cola makes soft drinks. Black and Decker make hand tools. Epson makes printing equipment. They are commissioned to make these things, but the Church of God is called to make disciples. Open your heart and allow God to speak to you in a fresh new way!
